Energy panels plan talks on new mix

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Friday that its three new panels on nuclear power, renewable energy and energy conservation will meet next week to discuss the nation’s future energy mix.

The Abe administration defined nuclear power as an important source of electricity in its energy policy in April, but did not include details about the energy mix, given the difficulty predicting how many reactors will be permitted to restart in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima crisis, or the amount of renewable energy expected to become available.

On the agenda will be issues such as the feed-in tariff scheme for nuclear energy, and how to promote the use of solar and wind energy, METI said.